Prabowo harvests shrimp in Kebumen as one hectare yields Rp2.8 billion

Jakarta — President Prabowo Subianto directly observed the harvest at the Tambak Budi Daya Udang Berbasis Kawasan (BUBK) Kebumen in Central Java on Saturday, which posted high productivity with an economic value of Rp2.8 billion per hectare.

‘So this is very promising; I was told that 1 hectare can produce 40 tonnes, indeed 40 tonnes, and the price is very good, Rp70,000 per kilogram. That means Rp70 million per tonne,’ Prabowo said, quoted from the presidential secretariat’s YouTube broadcast in Jakarta on Saturday.

In the tour, the President witnessed the effectiveness of the vannamei shrimp farming system that can produce 40 tonnes per hectare at a selling price of Rp70,000 per kilogram.

Prabowo expressed high optimism about the economic potential generated by the ponds under this modern governance system.

The President directly inspected the Kebumen BUBK area, developed with a best-practice modern farming concept, including a seawater intake system, reservoir ponds, separate inlet and outlet channels, and an integrated wastewater treatment plant (IPAL).

The model has proven capable of optimising production efficiency compared with traditional farming methods.

The presence of the Kebumen BUBK area has a tangible economic impact on the region. With a total of 206 pond plots, the area is capable of producing about Rp67.2 billion per cycle, or could reach Rp134.4 billion per year if managed optimally.

In addition to revenue contributions, the President highlighted the strategic role of the project in absorbing local labour. To date, the Kebumen BUBK operations have involved hundreds of people in the fisheries sector.

‘This is very good, very productive. The current jobs that can be absorbed are now 650 local workers, and we have already built 2,000 hectares in Waingapu,’ said Prabowo.

The government is currently replicating the Kebumen BUBK model’s success to other regions in Indonesia, including a large-scale project in Waingapu, East Sumba Regency, East Nusa Tenggara.

Kebumen is now a model for other regions in transforming traditional farming systems into technology-based modern systems.

The government regards shrimp as a strategic commodity that plays an important role in increasing Indonesia’s seafood export competitiveness in the global market.

By applying good aquaculture practices, shrimp is expected to become a sustainable foreign exchange earner and a pillar of national food security in the future.